Other Policies & Procedures

Attendance & TruancyRegular attendance is vital to a student’s success at school. If your child is out of school more than ten (10) consecutive days (for reasons other than severe illness or family emergency), the child may be discharged from the school.

A student is considered truant if he/she is out of school without a valid reason (illness, religious holiday, family emergency).

You must let your teacher and the Main Office know in writing if your child is going to be out for any time extending beyond three (3) days.

Birthday PartiesFor a child’s birthday, parents may send in treats (something that does not require cutting or slicing) — but please let your teacher know beforehand. The teacher will let you know of any food allergies and will work with the parents of children with food allergies to ensure that everybody in the class can participate in the celebration. We can not allow video cameras, gift bags, streamers, balloons or any other items of this kind into the classroom. Please keep the birthday celebrations low-key. We also request that parents not be a part of the classroom celebration after 2nd grade. Additionally, siblings who are in another class in the school are not permitted to attend. This is so that all students can continue to participate in their own learning in their own classes. A teacher will not distribute invitations to a birthday party via the children's backpacks unless the entire class is invited.

Blue Cards
Blue cards are the official emergency contact cards for your family. They are administered by the Board of Education and are coordinated through our Main Office. The Board of Education requires that these cards be filled out every year in triplicate to ensures that proper procedures are followed should your family need to be contacted in an emergency. Please return the blue cards ASAP and keep them updated throughout the year. Fraudulent, non-working or incorrect information about addresses and phone numbers on your child’s emergency card is a severe breach and compromise of your child’s safety and security. The school must be able to contact you immediately if your child is ill or has an accident at school.

In the event that the regularly assigned adult is unable to pick up a child from school, the parent/guardian must notify the school before 12pm. In cases such as these, only adults listed on the blue card are authorized to pick up the child from school. Any deviation from the adults listed on the blue card (or any change in dismissal) requires written notification signed by the parent.

Calls to the SchoolCalls cannot be taken for children except in a real emergency. If your plans change, it is your responsibility to make arrangements that do not involve the Main Office. Children are not permitted to make telephone calls from the Main Office.

Cell Phones, Electronic Gaming Devices, and ToysCell phones are ABSOLUTELY not allowed out in school at any time during the school day. If they are out of a child’s backpack, they will be confiscated and brought to the Main Office. A parent or guardian will be required to come to school to retrieve the item.

In addition, gaming devices, headphones, iPODs, and any electronic toys are not allowed. Any weapon-like toy will be confiscated immediately. All these items have caused disruption and conflict and have detracted from both our students’ academic studies and emotional well-being. Click here for PS41's Cell Phone Policy.

Class ParentsThe class parent’s role is to support the communication efforts between families and school by serving as a primary link between the school’s leadership, the PTA, your child’s teacher and the other parents in your child’s class. This is a great volunteer job for people who are organized and enthusiastic about communicating. Each class has two parent volunteers.

Dress CodeThere is no formal dress code. However, clothing must be appropriate and take weather and temperature into account. Flip flops, other backless shoes or heelies (sneakers with wheels) are not allowed for safety reasons. Hats are also not allowed, nor is any attire that does not promote a positive and safe environment at PS41.

Homework PolicyHomework is assigned regularly, is reasonable and meaningful, and reflects the objectives of the instructional program. It is at the discretion of each teacher whether homework is given daily or as a weekly packet. Children are expected to complete homework on time. Continual neglect of homework requires parental notification.

LatenessPS41 has a very strict policy concerning lateness. Children who arrive even a few minutes late often feel out of step with their classmates. Their classmates in turn are distracted by children arriving after the class has settled. PS41 is rated by the Department of Education (DOE) on its attendance and lateness records, so chronic absenteeism and lateness reflect poorly on the school.